Love Over Marriage
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Bellatrix wouldn't get married if she loved you, Andromeda tells her little sister. Written for lunalestrange4's Slash and/or Femslash Competition on the HPFC forum.


Author's Notes: Written for lunalestrange4's Slash and/or Femslash Competition on the HPFC forum.

_The main pairing, obviously, must be slash or femslash, although het pairings may be mentioned. The focus has got to be on your chosen slash/femslash pairing. 750 word minimum. No freeverses. Drabbles, one-shots, and multi-chapters only. _

Andromeda/Narcissa, with a hint of Bellatrix/Andromeda. Enjoy!

)O(

Narcissa had never cried so hard as she did when she found out that Bellatrix was going to be married.

"But _why_?" she sobbed, looking at her eldest sister desperately when the marriage was announced over dinner. "Mummy… why?" she added, turning to Druella.

"Because it is time for her to get married," was Druella's simple answer. "You will have to as well eventually, you know, Narcissa."

"No!" Narcissa cried, horror-stricken. "I'm not old enough!"

"You're fifteen years old. You'll be married in four years," Cygnus said. "Nineteen is the proper age for a girl to be married, you know. And since Bellatrix is nineteen…"

"Who is she going to be married to?" Andromeda asked from the other side of the table.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," Druella said. "He's the eldest eligible bachelor, you know that."

"Oh, _that's_ going to be just wonderful…" Andromeda's voice dripped sarcasm. "Merlin, Mother, she'll rip him limb from limb!"

"I resent that," Bellatrix said calmly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"But it's true," said Andromeda.

"Nonsense!" Druella said impatiently. "There will be no more debate on this subject – oh, for the love of God, Narcissa, stop crying!" she added, turning on her youngest daughter. "This is ridiculous. You knew that she would be married soon enough."

"But–" Narcissa gulped. "But I don't _want_ her to go!"

"What you _want_ is not important!" Druella exploded. "There is no _want_ when it comes to marriages! Now go to your room, Narcissa, and don't come out until you can appreciate that your sister is getting married!"

Narcissa fled, sobbing. Bellatrix was her world. She loved her more than anyone else in the world and couldn't fathom what life without her would be like. She ran to the bedroom the sisters shared, flinging herself down on Bellatrix's bed and burying her face in her pillow, inhaling her scent, even as her tears soaked the pillowcase.

She didn't know how long she lay there, crying into her sister's pillow, only knew that when she heard a soft voice and lifted her head, the sky was dark.

"Cissy…"

Narcissa turned and looked at Andromeda, standing in the doorway.

"What?" she sniffled, wiping her eyes.

Andromeda sighed, crossing the room and joining her sister on the bed. "I'm sorry that Bellatrix has to leave."

"It's not your fault," Narcissa said, sniffing, but then broke down in a fresh wave of tears. Andromeda pulled her gently into her arms, letting her rest her head on her breast. Narcissa could hear her sister's heartbeat, even over the sound of her own sobs, and the warmth of her embrace was comforting. She cried as Andromeda stroked her hair.

"It's all right, darling," Andromeda whispered. "It's all right. I love you, even if Bellatrix doesn't."

"Really?" Narcissa sniffed.

"Really… in fact…" Andromeda placed two fingers beneath her little sister's chin and raised her head to look her in the eye. "I love you much, much more than she does."

"But… she always said she loved me the most…"

"Not true," said Andromeda. "Did she ever do this?"

Andromeda leaned down slowly, and Narcissa jolted, then relaxed as her sister's lips pressed softly against hers. They were warm and soft and she felt better instantly, though a part of her mind was panicking now, telling her that this was her _sister_, that it was wrong, wrong, _wrong_ for her to want this, to enjoy this…

"Andi," Narcissa murmured, pushing her back. "Don't…"

"Don't what?" asked Andromeda. "See? I love you more than Bellatrix, because she _never_ did that for you."

"That doesn't mean…"

"Yes, it does," Andromeda told her. Her voice was so full of certainty that Narcissa had difficulty doubting it, whatever her own beliefs. "You've _wanted_ to kiss her, haven't you?"

"Well…" Narcissa's face flamed. She had never admitted to anyone the desires she had felt, the way she had wished her sister would hold her or kiss her or _touch_ her… and yet Andromeda seemed to know…

"I wished that too," Andromeda murmured. "When we were younger… I wanted her to… do things like this…" Her hand moved slowly to touch Narcissa's small, firm breast. "To me… but she didn't… because she doesn't love us, either of us…"

"That's not what it means," Narcissa said in a tiny voice. "Just because she doesn't…"

"Yes, it _is_ what it means." There was absolute conviction in Andromeda's tone. "It means she doesn't care what you want. Hell… she wouldn't get married if she did…" There was a hint of bitterness in Andromeda's voice. "But _I_ love you, Cissy. You can kiss _me_ the way you always wanted to kiss Bellatrix…"

"Really?" whispered Narcissa.

"Really." Andromeda leaned in again, and her lips brushed against her little sister's. "I promise."

)O(

_Fin_


End file.
